Secrets
by yami no hikari
Summary: AU Ryou Bakura has secrets. Not earth shattering, but still nothing that he’d share with anyone, until he spills them to a stranger on a plane. At least he thought he was a stranger. Eventual RyouSeto
1. Never to talk again

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Premise based off of 'Can you keep a secret?'

Secrets

Please Note - AU where the millennium items don't exist, and Seto hasn't moved to Domino yet. Eventual Seto/Ryou to cheer me up. Chapter one revised.

Summary: Ryou Bakura has secrets. Not earth shattering, but still nothing that he'd share with anyone, until he spills them to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least he thought he was a stranger. But come Monday morning, the school's abuzz about the new student, and Ryou's face to face with the 17 year old CEO of KaibaCorp- someone who knows every single humiliating detail about him. Things couldn't possibly get any worst. Until they do...

* * *

Chapter one- Never to Talk Again.

I hate flying. I know its business class, and all lovely luxury, but my stomach is still a tight knot of fear. It's about ten minutes into the flight, and they've switched off the seatbelt signs. While we were taking off, I counted very slowly with my eyes closed, and that kind of worked. But I ran out of steam at three hundred and fifty two, so now I'm just sitting, attempting to read a magazine. I'm trying really hard to look relaxed, but every tiny sound makes me start; every vibration makes me catch my breath.

With an outward veneer of calm, I reach for the laminated safety instructions and run my eyes over them for the fifth time. 'Safety exits. Brace position. If life jackets are required, please assist the elderly and children first.' Oh, god. Why am I even looking at this? How will it help to gaze at pictures of little stick people jumping into the ocean while their plane explodes behind them? I stuff the instructions quickly back in their pocket, and lean back in my seat.

To distract myself, I look around the cabin. The two elderly women I noticed earlier are laughing at something. The guy with the laptop is still typing.

"Excuse me sir, are you traveling on business?" An air hostess with red curls has appeared beside laptop man.

He stops typing and turns his head to regard her coolly. I find myself staring at him while half 'overhearing' her spiel about a new business class lounge. His eyes are really blue. He's actually really quite cute.

Immediately I mentally smack myself. Guys are not cute, I tell myself firmly.

I start when I hear someone clear their throat rather loudly. Blue eyes laptop is looking at me as if I'm retarded with one elegant eyebrow raised. I feel myself turning red, and quickly look away.

"Sorry!" I mumble, briefly looking back. Blue eyes laptop looks amused and annoyed at the same time, and I feel myself flush again feeling incredibly stupid.

The hostess walking toward the front staggers a little as the plane gives a bump.

Why is the plane bumping!

Oh, my god! An avalanche of fear hits me with no warning. This is madness! Sitting in this big, heavy box with no way of escape, thousands and thousands of feet above the ground...

I can't do this on my own. I feel the overpowering need to talk to someone. Someone reassuring. Someone safe.

I start to grab the seat phone to call dad, before I remember that he won't be back yet. Malik won't be home yet either. Oh, well. I can do this. I'm being ridiculous; it's just a tiny plane ride. I'm fine.

I glance at my watch. Fifty minutes to go.

Ok, don't think about that. Just take each minute as it comes. Maybe I'll start counting again...

Three hundred fifty three, three hundred fifty four, three hundred fifty fi...

And then I hear the screams like a wave over my head, almost before I realize what's happening.

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god... We're falling! Oh god we're falling!

The plane's plummeting through the air like a stone. A man on the other side of the plane has just shot up through the air and banged his head on the ceiling. He's bleeding. I'm clutching onto the arms of the seat but I can feel myself being wrenched upward, like someone's tugging me. Bags are flying around, drinks are spilling, one of the cabin crew has fallen over, and she's gripping the seat...

Oh, god. Oh, god. Ok, the plane is leveling off now. It's...it's better.

I look over shakily at blue eyes laptop and he's grasping onto the seat as tightly as I am.

I feel sick. I think I might be sick.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking." Comes a voice over the intercom.

My heart is thudding in my chest. I can't listen. I can't think.

"We're currently hitting some clear air turbulence, and things may be unsteady for a while. I have switched on the seat belt signs and would ask that you all return to your seats as quickly as pos..."

There's another lurch and his voice is drowned out by screams and cries all around the plane.

It's like a bad dream, a bad roller coaster dream.

The cabin crew are all strapping themselves into their seats. One of the hostesses is mopping blood off her face. A minute ago they were doling out peanuts.

I always knew that something like this was going to happen to me. I always knew. All those people who said flying was perfectly safe- they were lying!

"We have to keep calm." The elderly lady is saying. "Everyone just keep calm."

Keep calm? I can't breathe let alone keep calm. What are we going to do? Are we all going to just sit here while the plane bucks like an out of control horse?

I can hear someone behind me reciting, "Hail Mary, mother of grace..." and a fresh choking panic sweeps through me. People are praying. This is real.

We're going to die. We're going to die!

"What?" Blue eyes laptop across the aisle asks. His face is white, through composed, and his voice is steady.

Did I just say that out loud?

"We're going to die." I stare into his face. This could be the last person that I ever see alive. I take in his features more thoroughly this time, noting the shade of blue his eyes are, his cheekbones, his nose.

The plane suddenly drops again, and I give an involuntary shriek.

"We're not going to die." He says dismissively. "It's just turbulence."

"Of course that's what the captain said, what they want us to believe!" I can hear the hysteria in my voice. "They couldn't exactly say, 'sorry folks you're all goners!' now could they!"

The plane gives another terrifying swoop, and I find myself clutching blue eyes laptop's hand in panic. "We're not going to make it. I know we're not! This is it! I'm 18 years old for god's sake! I'm too young to die. I'm not ready. I haven't achieved anything! I've never saved a life. The one time I tried to do the Heimlich maneuver, the guy thought that I was coming on him. I haven't ever climbed a mountain. I'm pretty sure that I like guys. I've never been in love!"

"I'm sorry." The guy sounds completely taken aback, but I barely hear him.

"Sammy the goldfish in the kitchen isn't the same one that my dad gave me to look after. I don't know why he died. I gave him all his food so he wouldn't feel bad being alone when I went out, and when I came back he was dead."

What's happening to me? Normally theirs a filter that stops me from blurting out everything that's in my head, but it just seems to have stopped working. Everything's piling out in a big random stream, and I can't seem to stop it.

"Cream puffs are my favorite food, they're the best thing in the whole world. One time when I was eight that's all that I would eat for an entire week. Finally my dad just gave in, and I ate them until I literally sick. I still love them though, but I can't eat more than two at a time now. One time my teacher made us write a composition about our best friend, and I wrote about the little voice in my head. I call him the little voice in my head, because I don't know his name. That sounds really odd, and at first the teacher didn't believe me, and she gave me a C on for it. I was so mad! So I insisted that there really was a little voice, so I got sent to the school psychologist, and that was where I met Malik."

"Malik's really cool, but he has a definite fear of commitment. Something about his dad, but I'm not quite sure what. He's actually the youngest kid in his family. He lives with his sister, and two brothers. It's funny, but I've never actually met either of his brothers, and I've known him forever, but Isis is cool. Anyway, Malik and I spend tons of time with each other. No one understands me the way he does, and Joey and Tea started to make comments about it all the time, trying to say that me and Malik are sleeping together and stuff, which totally isn't true. So, anyway, I ended up making up this pretend girlfriend so that they would just leave us alone. My dad heard about it, and when I actually told him what was happening he laughed for ten minutes straight. Not, about ten minutes, actually ten minutes."

"I really hate that he's gone so much. I understand how important his job is to him, but I can't help wishing that he were home more often. I actually just got back from seeing him in Egypt. I went for the entire winter break, and it was really fun. We decided that it would be better for me to fly out to see him, and that way he wouldn't have to interrupt his work. I told him that it was fine, and it was, until I realized that the only way for me to get out there would be to fly. Anyway, I got to the airport, and he had a surprise waiting. I thought that it would be something really cool, like an artifact or something, but it turned out that it was his new girlfriend. I hate her. She's really two faced, and I just know that she hates me. She's so mean when he's not around, but I can't tell him since he's so happy. She wouldn't even let me talk to Malik on the phone the entire time I was away, and I just know that 's upset, since I promised that I would call. I'll have to call him first thing when we land. She actually kind of reminds me of Tea, who's a friend of a friend."

"Tea's a really great dancer, and really pretty, and she hates me. I've never quite figured out why. One time she told the entire school that I had a crush on Joey, and he's hated and made fun of me ever since. She's so mean, but Yugi's had a crush on her for years. He's never noticed that she has a crush on the school football captain, Yami. Or maybe he has noticed. He sort of dresses like him now, and their hair is kind of the same. I've never really thought about it before."

"Anyway, Yugi's really great, even if he is friends with Tea and Joey. Speaking of Joey, he used to be in a gang! No, really. But then he sort of calmed down and quit, and now he's trying really hard in school. His mother still won't allow him to see his sister though, which is completely unfair since he's worked so hard. If my sister were still alive I know how badly I'd want to see her. I guess in a way we're kind of similar like that, the only difference really is that his mom might still actually give in and let him see her. He has a chance to see her again."

"My sister and I got along really well. When we were ten we ran away for an entire day, and tried to walk to Nashville, so that we could become rich and famous as a singing duet. We didn't get too far, because we weren't allowed to cross any streets. She was in a car accident with my mother. My mother died instantly, and she was thrown from the vehicle, and was in a coma for two weeks before she died. I still miss her more than anything, and wonder what it would be like if she were still around, if we would still be best friends or not. I just know that all the others pity me, and…….."

"Excuse me, sir. We've landed."

"What?" I look up dazedly. An air hostess with a French plait is smiling down at me.

"We've landed?" I look around and glimpse the air port terminal through the window. The plane's still. We're on the ground.

"We aren't bumping anymore." I say stupidly.

"We stopped bumping quite a while ago." Blue eyes says dryly.

"We're..we're not going to die."

"We're not doing to die." He agrees.

I look at him as though for the first time, and suddenly it hits me. I've been babbling to a complete stranger. God knows what I've been saying.

I want to get off this plane.

"I'm sorry." I say awkwardly, "You should have stopped me."

"That would have been very difficult." There's the faintest hint of a smile on his lips, "You were on a bit of a roll."

"I'm so embarrassed!" I say my face hot with mortification. I have to get out of here now.

Leaning down, I quickly scrabble under the seat for my carry on, and jump to my feet. "I'm very sorry. Thank you for listening. Have a good day!" and take off as fast as possible.

As soon as my feet hit the terminal, and the full reality of what just happened sinks in, I vow never to talk again.


	2. The Goblins are on to me

Disclaimer: Premise based off of 'Can You Keep a Secret?'

AN- It gets better. I promise.

* * *

Chapter two- The goblins are on to me

"So how'd your visit with your dad go?" Yugi asks as we trudge up the hill toward school. His breath comes out in little regular clouds behind him as he struggles valiantly along under his huge backpack, forcibly reminding me of the little engine that could.

"What's so funny?" He asks looking sideways at me.

I fell my eyes widen at being caught out, and mentally kick myself. I hate that about myself. I just can't hide anything, everyone always knows. "Nothing, we had a really good time."

Yugi looks curious for a moment then his eyes light up. Before he even says a word, I know who it is, who it must be to inspire such a reaction.

"Tea!" Yugi yells, waving his arms excitedly over his head, and tipping precariously from side to side.

My worst fears confirmed, Tea spins around and waves back, hurrying over. "Did you hear?" She asks Yugi, completely and utterly ignoring me. "There's a new kid here!"

"Really?" Yugi asks, slightly breathless. I suppose I would be too, after jumping around with something roughly the same weight as me tied to my back. Yugi should really consider doing his homework throughout the week rather than waiting until the weekend. I mean, Tea doesn't really need her own personal cheering section at every single game. Besides everyone knows that she's in love with Yami, everyone that is except Yugi. Poor Yugi.

You know, he does kind of look like Yami. I mean if yami were short, less built and dressed himself in the dark, they could be twins! Poor Yugi……

"Earth to Ryou!" An obnoxious voice interrupts my thoughts, and I give a start.

Joey is looking at me expectantly. I stare blankly back at him, not even sure when he got here forget what he wants, and he sighs. Yugi smiles indulgently, and I see Tea behind him roll her eyes.

"I'm sorry." I say to Joey. I just can't seem to concentrate today, I kept having the same dream that I was falling all night long. A fact I attribute solely to my near death experience on the plane.

"Forget it." He says shaking his head. "I asked how your vacation went. It had better have been good though, cause I don't think they'll let you take another one. You take too long to retrain. But I bet your brain feels as good as new, seeing as you never use it."

Tea laughs, and Yugi stares at them with a mildly reproving gaze, before giving Tea a small smile to take the edge off of it.

"So did you get to sit by the window on the plane?" Joey continues.

"No." I start to tell them about my fear of heights, when Joey interrupts.

"Let me guess, the guy next to you told you that only the seats in the middle of the plane were going to London?" He asks sarcastically.

Tea laughs again, and Yugi frowns at Joey. Before he can say anything, the bell rings.

"Come on Yugi!" Tea says brightly, grabbing Yugi's hand in an iron grip and heading off toward the buildings. "You can be my partner in biology, this afternoon!

"Yeah, Yug." Joey replies falling in step behind them. "You can help her in Bi-ol-o-gy."

He laughs, and Yugi blushes.

Yugi tears himself away from Tea gazing long enough to call back, "See you at lunch Ryou!"

It's then that I realize that I have the same class as them next, and that they've just successfully stolen my friend.

Behind him I see Tea roll her eyes and say something to Joey. Joey says something back, and they both laugh. I pretend not to notice them, and smile while I wave back at Yugi. Secretly I'm picturing slowly roasting Tea and Joey over hot coals, force feeding Tea donuts, and shaving Joey's head. That'll show them. Muhahaha hahaha hahaha!

Drat, I'm late.

I hurry down the halls toward my locker doing the closest thing to a run that I can without getting detention. It's because of my haste that I'm not as cautious as I should be around the student lounge, and it's the reason that I don't see the ambush coming. One moment I'm frantically racing off to class, and the next I'm grabbed by the back of my sweater, and pulled into the otherwise empty room.

"Hello Ryou." A familiar voice says, sounding bored. "Got my money for me?"

I gulp, looking up, and then higher up. "Tristan……no, not yet."

Tristan loses the bored look, and glares down at me.

"But I'll get it!" I continue, trying to stop myself from talking so fast.

"You better." He stays threateningly, shaking a fist in my face.

"I will." I swallow again.

He gives me one last hard look, lets go, and walks away. I exhale slowly, trying to get my heart to beat normally, before glancing at the clock.

I sigh, and glumly continue on to my locker to fetch our group sociology project.

Then the war with my locker begins. I swear that there's little school goblins who's sole job is to randomly switch locks on me. I close my eyes for a moment, before sighing again. I can't help picturing the little school goblins, dressed in the school colors, scurrying around after hours, gnawing off the locks and switching them.

Actually, that's kind of scary……

I frown at the locker, and jiggle the lock again. The door pops open, like in old horror movies when the house is just waiting for the main character to enter, and I glance around nervously. The goblins are on to me. I grab what I need, and back away cautiously.

Moments later I'm standing outside my sociology class trying to juggle our prop, (made out of spaghetti, glue, play dough, and (Tea's contribution) glitter), and all the charts, while simultaneously trying to open the door. I'm saved the trouble, however, when the door's suddenly violently pulled open by Tea, and I mentally make a note to buy a crucifix, before she snatches the charts out of my hand, and hisses quietly, "You're late…..again!"

Yugi's behind her, gazing at me with a politely annoyed expression on his face, and Joey's shaking his head like he just knew that I'd screw up.

"Well, well, Mr.Bakura, decided to show up did you?" Ms.Miller says, and a few people laugh. "Just in time. You're group's on next."

Tea and Yugi both have their cue cards ready, the charts and graphs glued to the back wall, and are looking at me expectantly, waiting for the prop. I start to walk toward the desk, and quickly shoot a glance to the class.

It's then that I feel my heart freeze. My head whips back sideways to make certain, and it's him. One elegant eyebrow raised over gorgeous blue eyes, and mouth quirked in a wryly amused expression, it's Blue Eyes Laptop from the plane. I feel all the blood drain out of my face, and stare at him horrified. Blue Eyes Laptop that I blabbed everything to, Blue Eyes Laptop that knows every single detail about my pathetic life, all about the cream puffs, and orange juice, all about Malik, the pretend girlfriend, Iris, and the singing duet!

It's in slow motion that I gasp, and take a step backward. It's in slow motion that he frowns. It's in slow motion that I lose my grip on the prop, and hear Tea's cry of "NOOOO!" as it goes sailing to the floor. Traitorous time speeds up as soon as it hits the floor, and smashes into a million tiny pieces.

There's a stunned silence, before the back half of the class breaks into applause. I look over at Tea, Yugi, and Joey utterly mortified. Tea looks disgusted, Yugi disappointed, and Joey's smiling at the teacher. "We get an extension, right?"

Ms.Miller looks from me to the broken project, and sighs. "One day."

The rest of my group starts to protest, before she fixes them with a firm gaze, stopping them in their tracks. "One day."

I don't look at anyone, especially him, as I walk quickly to the back of the room to get a broom and dustpan. As soon as the mess is swept up, the next group sets up.

I walk carefully back to my seat and sit down. Tea covertly passes me a note under the desk. 'If you think that we're helping to re-do that prop, you're wrong. You better get it done in time, Ryou. Or else. I mean it!'

I glance up at Yugi for help, and he looks steadfastly in the other direction.

I bring my arms tight around me, and curl up into as much of a ball as I can in my desk, suddenly feeling small and sad. Nobody likes me anymore.

All of a sudden a little voice in my head pipes up /I still like you/

Great, now I'm officially destined for the rubber room of joy.

* * *

Lunch time, and I'm sitting alone outside under my tree. The official story is that Tea has cheerleading practice, Joey has detention, and Yugi is catching up on homework. The real story is that no one wants to talk to me after I screwed up our prop.

I sigh and take another bite of soggy tuna sandwich, idly looking around. Yami and Duke are holding court over by the picnic tables, Tristan's smoking behind the soccer field with Mai, and Ishizu's reading by the science building. I wish Malik had decided to show up today, at least then I'd have something to do, but today the 'vibe just wasn't right'. Which translates into, 'I'm too lazy to move right now, go away."

I'm startled out of my thoughts by a seagull landing in front of me. I eye him nervously, and he glares right back at me. Or rather at my sandwich.

"Forget it." I tell him, trying to sound completely firm. "This is mine."

He ruffles his feathers, and I flinch. To be honest I've never been entirely comfortable around birds. Anything that enjoys flight cannot be trusted.

I sit up straight, look down on the bird, and say with as much authority as I can muster, "It's mine."

"Talking to birds now are you?" A cool female voice asks from behind me. I turn to look, and the bird charges, flying off with my sandwich.

I let out a small yelp, duck, and Tea and Yugi laugh. I straighten up and force a smile as well watching the greedy little thief darkly, as he bobs about lopsidedly in the air clutching his prize. 'Until we meet again, Mr. Bird.'

/That reminds me, I feel like chicken tonight/ the little voice inturupts.

Tea wipes tears, while Yugi, the only one laughing with me, grins. I lean back, and smile a real smile. Yugi's not mad at me anymore.

"Cheerleading got cancelled so we decided to help you remake it, it'll be faster that way." Yugi says, pluncking down in front of me, and dumping his back pack contents onto the grass. A box of spaghetti, a bottle of glue, some tape, markers, and play dough.

"No glitter though." Tea says regretfully, sitting down as well.

"Oh no." I say, looking away as casually as possible, so as not to be caught out again. "That's too bad." I reply trying to look sympathetic, abruptly I have the strong feeling that I'm being watched.

Tea's saying something else that I don't quite hear, as I'm studying the library window. For a moment there I could have sworn that I saw someone there looking down on us.

"Got it, Ryou?" Yugi asks, gently bringing my attention back to the task on hand. "You have the front section, ok?"

"Front section. Got it." I reply brightly, picking up some of the spaghetti strands. I glance back up at the window, but it's still empty. I shake my head and start on my part.


	3. The Meeting Of The Misunderstood

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Premise still based off of 'Can you keep a secret'.

AN- It still gets better. Give it a chance.

* * *

Chapter three- The meeting of the misunderstood

After lunch Yugi, Tea, and I head off to English class. The two of them in front talking about the game Saturday, and me trail behind as usual wondering how on earth I'm going to come up with Tristan's money. Already all my lunch money and allowance was going toward paying him. I couldn't ask Malik for money, he didn't have any. I sighed, and felt my shoulders sag. I'd just have to ask Tristan for an extension. Again.

I was pondering how best to go about approaching him for the aforementioned payment extension, without him bursting a blood vessel that is, and minding my own business when disaster struck yet again in the form of a chair knocked over at just the wrong moment. One moment I'm walking along, and the next I'm lying sprawled out across the ground, dazed and bleeding onto my homework.

"Nice going you creep! You just flattened Ryou!" Joey snaps at someone.

The reply is too quiet to hear.

Slowly I raise myself up onto one elbow, and bring my other hand up to my lip gingerly. I bit it pretty hard, but there doesn't seem to be anything seriously wrong. Damage assessment over, I take the tissues that Yugi's offering, and sit up.

Joey's squaring off with the guy from the plane. They're standing two feet apart from each other, glaring daggers.

Suddenly, into the complete silence that had descended upon the room, I hear a voice that sounds suspiciously like mine blurt out, "Blue eyes laptop!"

Every eye in the room inexplicably turns toward me. Oh crap. "I mean ow."

Everyone's looking at me as though there's a chicken doing the moonwalk on my head.

I freeze.

/Everyone's looking at us. Do something, quick/ The little voice in my head urges.

"Um….. ouch?" I say, laughing nervously.

The chicken is now doing the robot.

"um, I tripped over a chair."

/You moron! That's it/ The little voice in my head snaps in disgust. /I give up! You're on your own! My mother wanted me to be a muse, but did I listen- no/ The voice grabs its suitcase, and slams the door.

I think I need help.

"Way to state the obvious there, Ry." Yugi says, smiling at the class while leaning over and holding the tissue to my face. He looks like he's helping me, really he's preventing me from saying anything else. "He hit his head." He mouthes to Tea, making a crazy gesture with one hand, that supposedly I can't see.

"Great!" Tea says, turning to glare at blue eyes laptop. "Ryou has one brain cell left, and you kill it!"

/That bitch./ The little voice in my head is back.

"Tea!" Yugi admonishes, jerking around to look at her, and hitting the tissue against my mouth hard. I give a pained yelp.

Joey ignores everyone, and again focuses on the guy from the plane. "I'd watch my back if I were you, moneybags."

"Joey!" Yugi said, looking at Joey disbelievingly.

"He started it." Joey mutters, not quite meeting Yugi's eye.

"I'm sorry, he just loses his temper sometimes. I'm sure that he didn't mean it." Yugi said to blue eyes laptop, apologizing for Joey.

"I'd get a muzzle for him." is the cold reply.

"And just what's that supposed to mean!" Joey snapped, glaring again.

Blue eyes contemptuously stares him down, "What do you think it means, mutt?"

Joey bristles. "Bastard! I told you not to call me that!"

"So do something about it." Blue eyes glitter in challenge, as he leans forward, closer to Joey's face, "Mutt."

Joey gives a bellow of rage, and takes a swing at him, just as the teacher walks through the door.

"Wheeler!" The teacher yells, just as blue eyes blocks the punch, and shoves Joey backwards.

"Break it up!" She shouts, coming toward them, and looking positively furious. "Both of you, stop! Right this minute!"

Blue eyes and Joey glower at each other, as the teacher steps between them.

"Office! Now! Both of you, march!" She snaps. "Either of you says one word to the other, and you'll both have detentions until you're grandchildren are done school! Go! I'll be there in a moment, so don't even think of starting anything else."

Blue eyes and Joey stalk out of the room, while the teacher continues. "Yugi, take Ryou down to the nurses' office, everyone else back in their seats."

Yugi grabs my arm, and hauls me upright. Together we beat a hasty retreat. She's really scary when she's mad.

* * *

Twenty minutes later I'm on my own in the nurse's office, sitting in a chair, holding a bag of ice to my face. Yugi's gone back, and I'm wondering if it's worthwhile going back into class, or if I can get away with just spending the afternoon in here, when the school nurse ushers someone else inside the room with me. She's making tsk tsk-ing noises, and handing them a cold pack. With a start, I realize who it is, and feel my face go crimson.

Blue eyes looks annoyed, but holds the cold pack to the side of his jaw, and sits down beside me. He ignores both of us, glaring out the window instead. The nurse shakes her head in exasperation, and leaves.

Nervously I shift in my seat, trying to move my ice bag to block more of my face. He stops looking out the window, and glances at me. Surprise shows on his face for the barest moment, before his face loses all trace of expression again.

"Um, hi." I say, breaking the awkward silence, and lowering the bag, fully aware that my face is still pink.

He doesn't say anything, just looks at me with an unreadable expression.

"So, um, are you alright?" I ask, having no idea what to say.

His face hardens, and he glares out the window again.

"Yes, well uh", I flounder for something to say, but there's nothing. Feeling my face flame again, I decide that I'm well enough for class after all. "It was nice meeting you again." I mumble starting off.

"Ryou." Blue eyes states. It's not a call back, not a question, just a statement.

"Yes?" I say, uncertainly, hesitating at the door.

"So, that's your name, is it? Ryou." He doesn't say it like he expects an answer, and I don't know if I should reply, what the correct response should be.

It feels a bit bazaar actually, having someone know every intimate detail about your life, what your hopes and fears are, but not your name.

I stand awkwardly at the door, before deciding that that isn't polite. I go back to my chair and sit down.

"Ryou Bakura, pleased to meet you." I say into the silence and offer my hand.

For a moment I'm afraid that he's going to refuse it. He stares at my offered hand for a moment as if it's covered in fish guts, and then, just when I'm about to drop it, and my face has reached it's boiling point, he shifts the cold pack into his left hand, and shakes once.

"Seto Kaiba." He says briefly, and reclaims his hand.

Seto Kaiba, I try the name over in my mind. Blue eyes laptops name is Seto Kaiba.

/Wait, the little voice in my head says, rapidly connecting pieces, and I feel my face rapidly draining of all its new found color. /laptop…Kaiba…..moneybags…..Oh shit…./

This last part must have been verbalized, as Seto Kaiba, the Seto Kaiba, is now looking at me with an openly amused expression on his face.

I slowly raise the ice bag back up to my lip, and lean back in my chair, outwardly calm, and look at him. The billionaire genius with the scary reputation watches me bemused, before the tiniest hint of a smile tugs at his lips.

"So, that guy back there, the mutt pen thrower, he's the one that can't see his sister, right? I think I have an idea why." Seto says dryly.

"Pen thrower?" I say faintly.

He turns his head to the left, and angles is neck back, so that when he lowers the ice pack from his right cheek, the angry red imprint of the pen is clearly visible.

Absurdly, I feel a laugh trying to escape, and quickly clamp both hands over my mouth.

Casually, he replaces the cold pack.

"Yes, that's Joey for you." I agree unnecessarily, just to have something to say. Quick, what can I say?

The little voice in my head snickers. /Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Taken down by a pen/

Shut up, you're not helping! I tell it.

/Ask him if he'll finally have Joey assassinated now. And if you kick in twenty bucks, if he'll get rid of Tea too/

Shut up, I tell it.

/No really! It's like a two for one special! It's a perfect plan/

Ok, you're just crazy.

/Hello, you're the one arguing with the little voice in you head/

…….shut up. I'll take prozac!

/gasp you wouldn't/

"I wouldn't what?" Seto asks, looking at the chicken on my head roller boogie.

"uh…..nothing,"

/Prozac! That's just sick./


	4. We could kill him

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Premise based off of 'Can You Keep a Secret'. Technical terms pulled off of http:extranet.

Warning(s)- shounen-ai, mild swearing, mild sexual theme reference, mild drug reference.

AN- Well, I got 4 reviews for chapter three ... Hell Ya!

* * *

Chapter Four- We could kill him.

Seto watches me intently while I do my best to get the little voice to shut up. With one last muttered comment about Prozac, the voice subsides. Breathing a sigh of relief, I shake my head to clear it, and focus back on him.

"What?" I ask finally, when he shows no sign of moving.

"Nothing," He says turning the ice pack over on his face. In an overly nonchalant voice he asks, "Do you always do that?"

"Do what? Zone out?" I laugh self consciously. "Yeah, all the time. Tea and Joey make jokes about how much of a space cadet I am. Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."

"No, it's fine." He starts to say something else, before he stops, shifts in his chair, and looks back out the window, reverting back to silence. He looks vaguely annoyed about something.

He thinks I'm a freak. I feel an odd pang of disappointment, and quickly tell myself that it doesn't matter. I glance at the clock. English is over, but if I hurry to my locker, I can make it to class in time for biology. Making up my mind, I start to say goodbye.

"You're not a freak, you know," He asserts before I can say a word, still looking out the window, "or a space cadet. You're a bit odd," he continues, lips curling up around the edges, "but who isn't?" He breaks off, as if just realizing what he's saying, glancing at me once looking puzzled, then resolutely resumes his window gazing.

"Thanks." I wonder if that was what I was supposed to say, while at the same time feeling relieved and curiously buoyed. In fact, it's ridiculous just how happy the, at best, left handed compliment has made me.

"So, uh, you're going to school here now, are you?" I flounder for something to say, the desire to get to class has completely left me again.

"So it would seem." He responds wryly.

"I thought that you were done school. Or that you were in a private school, at least." I continue doggedly.

"It wasn't my decision. I don't want to talk about it." He replies curtly. He now looks just plain irritated.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." I tell him, mentally berating myself as the moron that I am. Why can't I ever just leave well enough alone? Why do I have to wreak absolutely everything? I didn't scare him off at first, but then I had to pry. Joey's right. Somewhere, there is a village that's missing its idiot.

"My step father died last month and it was one of the conditions of his will that if I wanted to take over the company I had to finish high school without skipping any grades, or challenging any tests. I have to actually take the courses. Now I could go to a private school, do correspondence, or go here. Here's the most convenient. The workload's easy and little enough that I can skip without falling so far behind that I can't catch up, and the teacher's don't care enough to try to stop me. Plus, here I'm surrounded by the right demographic group." He breaks off; eyeing me with that confused/annoyed look he had earlier.

I don't want him to stop talking now! It's so hard to get him to start again. "The right demographic group? Why would that be important?" I say in my best interested voice.

He shrugs. "It's hard to maintain your position on top in today's ultra competitive environment, you always have to be looking for new ways to gain and retain customers. Target marketing is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. If you want to succeed you have to identify your highest valued customers and prospects, and predict their behavior, ideally at the most stable statistically viable geographic area in our mobile society- the neighborhood." I can feel my attention starting to wander, and fight to continue looking interested. "You can then start to develop fine tuned campaigns with optimal ROIs to draw customers to your franchise and win their loyalty. The problem is, of course, how to achieve these goals easily and affordably."

He continues with his spiel, while I nod every few moments, and dig my nails into my leg, trying to stay focused. I wonder if he's so much as talking to me, as thinking out loud.

"…..neural net and hierarchical clustering algorithms that group the….." I give up and tune out completely, letting him continue. "….integrating sales records, greatly increasing our ability to analyze and predict future customer behavior." He stops dead, and looks at me as if just realizing that I'm there.

I snap to attention again, and smile brightly. "That sounds interesting."

He gives that ghost of a smile again, and shakes his head. "No, it doesn't. But thank you for saying so."

I sigh. Caught out again. "Well, it could be interesting." I say, valiantly trying to salvage the conversation.

He shrugs again, shifting in his chair, "I suppose it could be."

"You don't think that it is?" I ask.

"Depends on the circumstances." He looks me directly in the eyes, and whatever he was going to say next dies off, and is released in a sudden exhale. Our eyes lock, brown green meeting blue. I know that I should look away, that I'm most likely creeping him out with every passing moment, but I just can't. I'm mesmerized. Slowly, his eyes slide down my face, resting on my mouth. Against my will my pulse starts to race, and color begins to creep into my face. Carefully, he raises his hand, and coaxes mine away from my face. Then he puts his thumb under my chin, and gently pushes my head back. Cool fingers run lightly over my lips, while the thumb remains, holding my head in place.

"Incidentally, I really am sorry." He says softly.

"About what?" I ask in an equally soft voice.

His mouth slowly curves up in the tiniest of smiles. "Never mind."

Carefully, his hand slides up to rest cupping my face. Against my will, my eyes slide shut, and I relax further into the caress. I gave a short contented sigh, and his hand hesitantly begins stroking the side of my face. All too soon, he stops, and hooks stray tendrils of my hair with his index finger, carefully smoothing them behind my ear. I open my eyes, he pulls his hand away.

His face is closed off as he gets to his feet. "The bell will be ringing in five minutes. I should get back." He says in an impassive voice. He leaves without even giving me a second glance.

I sit there dazed and alone, long after the bell does ring.

* * *

"We could kill him." Malik suggests, sprawled out in a lawn chair in his backyard. 

"Be serious." I say, thoroughly frustrated. Stupid sore lip, stupid Seto, stupid me, today just generally all around sucked, and Malik wasn't making it any easier, taking a more amused than angry stance.

He watches me for a second, before sighing and putting his drink down. "Come here."

I look up and glare at him. He, wisely, suppresses his smile, and makes a beckoning gesture with his head. Grudgingly, I get up and walk over. He grabs me around the waist and pulls me down, the moment I get close. I land in an ungainly heap on his lap, and he immediately hugs me. I hug him back, feeling my annoyance with him evaporate. After a bit of shifting I find a comfortable position, and lean back against his chest, my head resting in the crook of his shoulder, his arms loosely around my waist. It's a familiar position for us, and we lay there for a while just relaxing.

The sun is warm on my face, and Malik's steady breathing and comforting arms around me ease all the tension from my body. I'd only slept for a few hours the night before, because of the falling dream, and I find myself starting to doze.

Rousing myself out of my suddenly sleepy state, I reach over and grab his drink off of the table.

"Hey!" He protests.

"Hey what?" I ask, taking a drink. I make a face as soon as the unsweetened lemonade hits my mouth. "That's horrible." I tell him, quickly setting the drink back down.

He laughs, "Then don't drink my drink."

"Don't worry. I'm sure that you don't have anything that can't be cured by penicillin." I tell him jokingly. "I'll be fine."

"Oh, you are so going down." He says, abruptly getting to his feet, dumping me off the chair with no warning.

I glower up at him from the ground, and he smiles innocently down at me. He offers his hand, and I grab it, letting him help me up. He grins while he helps brush me off.

"Malik." I say warningly, when his hands linger for just a bit too long.

His eyes go wide, and the picture of innocence stares back at me. "What?"

I ignore the question, stealing the chair now that Malik's no longer sitting on it.

"So what do you think I should do about it?"

"About what? Seto or Tristin or Joey and Tea?" He asks, leaning against the plastic patio table.

I frown at him.

He sighs, running his hand through his already tousled hair. "Alright. Well, you'll just have to ask Tristin for more time. I'd do it in a public area though, with lots of people around. That way he can't yell too loudly." He hesitates. "Want me to do it?"

"No." I say quickly. Too quickly, I realize as he raises his eyebrow. "I've got it covered." I say more normally.

Tristin and Malik have never gotten along, Malik thinks that Tristin is a useless stoner taking up too much space and air, and tells him so at any and every available opportunity. Tristin thinks that Malik is a stupid slut. Stupid because he doesn't charge, at least that way he "could have money for what he's giving out anyway". The slut comment was an old joke between us, although it was entirely different for Tristin to say it. I think the money comment hurt Malik more than anything, he didn't like to be reminded about how little his family had. Conversations between them could get ugly fast, and having Malik be the one to give Tristin bad news was just asking for trouble. He'd be far too gleeful about it.

"Whatever." Malik replies, shrugging.

I was relieved. I really didn't have enough money left over to bail Malik out if he insisted on talking to Tristin.

"Tea and Joey are just bitches. That's all there is to it. Just tell them to go fuc…"

"Malik!" I say reprovingly.

"Or you could just slap them." He says, changing tactics easily, "Wouldn't that be funny?" He grins, and I just know that he's picturing it.

"Yeah, right up until they decided to murder me for it."

"Nah, you could be long gone by the time they realized what happened. You'd have surprise on your side after all." He yawns. "Seriously though, there's not too much you can do. You could tell them off, but you won't."

I don't say anything, just sigh, picking up his drink again, and taking another swallow. I make a face again, and put it down.

"What about Seto?" I ask.

He gives a sleepy sigh, and lays back across the table, letting his legs dangle over the edge. He closes his eyes, tilting his head to catch the sun rays on his face.

"I don't know, you'll just have to ask him next time you see him."

"What!" I say, feeling my face flame at just the thought. "I couldn't do that!"

"Why not?" He asks drowsily.

"…..because."

"Then you'll never know, will you?" He tells me, and then falls silent.

We sit there for a moment. Him sunbathing, and me brooding. At last I get up, and walk over to him. He frowns when my shadow falls across his face, and opens one eye.

"Leaving?" He asks.

"Yes. Are you coming to school tomorrow?"

He makes a face, "Yeah. I don't want to, but I should."

"Kay, want me to call you?"

"No, just come over. I'll be ready."

"Alright, see you tomorrow!" I grab my bag off the ground and walk away.

He doesn't reply verbally, just gives me a lazy salute, and lets his hand fall back to his side, the energy required apparently too much for him.

I pick my way across his yard, avoiding all the wreck that accumulated with him. Pop cans, and motorcycle parts, tools, and recycling, and various other assorted bits and pieces.

"Ryou?" His voice reaches me just as I get to the gate.

"What?" I ask turning back to him.

He sits up suddenly, and smiles brightly at me. "If things don't work out with Seto, and he's really a jerk about it, we can always bury him under my house." He waves energetically, and lies back across the table again.

I'm careful to close the gate behind me, and I start for home. Sometimes I really worry about him.


	5. And I thought today would be boring

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Premise based off of 'Can You Keep a Secret' which is a kick ass book by Sophie Kinsella.

Warning(s)- swearing, mild sexual theme reference.

I sit back in my chair as I wait for the computer to shut down. Maybe punching Seto's name into google wasn't such a good idea after all. It was incredibly daunting to realize just how smart and accomplished he was. I sigh and idly wonder if maybe Malik is right and I should just ask him about what happened. I give an even bigger sigh and jump to my feet as I acknowledge that I'd never have the nerve to ask so there's no point in speculation.

/if you keep sighing like that I'm going to start insisting that you get checked for asthma/ the little voice is back.

Leave me alone, I tell him. I'm going to go make dinner.

/hurray! Don't forget, we agreed on chicken!/ The little voice reminds me.

"Yeah, yeah…" I grumble heading into the kitchen. I've pulled a chicken breast out of the freezer, and onto a plate when there's a booming knocking on my front door.

Frowning, I set the plate on the counter, and walk over to the door.

/don't answer!/ the little voice commands imperiously.

Don't be rude, I admonish him.

/but I'm hungry/ he bemoans, little knife and fork in hand.

I reach the door, and peer out the peephole. It's Tristan. Shit!

Instinctively I duck down. Maybe if I'm really quiet he'll think I'm not home.

Again he pounds on the door. "I know that you're there Ryou! I heard you moving around."

Double shit!

/what is double shit?/ the little voice is amused.

I ignore him, and wonder if there's still some way out of this. I'm not ready to talk to Tristan! I don't know what to say!

Maybe I can pretend that he heard something else? Yes! That's it! But what?

Experimentally I give a meow.

The little voice is killing himself laughing. I hope he spontaneously combusts.

There's a hesitation outside the door. Then Tristan's voice incredulously asks, "Did you just meow?"

My face flushes. The little voice begins a fresh laughing fit.

/answer the door…..I can't….take any more……please…../ he gasps out, doubled over.

Reluctantly I get to my feet. I take a deep breath and open the door slowly.

"Tristan! What a surpri…." I get out before he pushes me aside and walks in.

He looks around briefly, before fixing me with an annoyed look. "I want my money Ryou! I've waited long enough!"

"Well, you see Tristan, here's the thing.." I say nervously, trying to smile. "I, uh, don't actually have your money for you, um, right at the moment."

I flinch at his expression. "But I'll get it! I swear!"

"That's what you said last time! And the time before! And the time before that! You might think that I'm slow, but I'm beginning to sense a pattern here. Now I really don't care if you and that slut friend of yours have to give hand jobs at the bus station, I want my money by Friday. Do you hear me Ryou? Friday! All of it, in my hand!"

"I can't get it by to you by Fri…" I manage to squeak out before he shoots me a truly nasty look, that silences me immediately.

He peers into the living room, and abruptly strides over toward the computer.

"What are you doing?" I ask alarmed, scuttling after him.

He looks around the room for a moment, before snatching a snow globe, with a picture of my sister and I inside it, off the shelf.

"What are you doing with that?" I demand, too upset to realize who I'm shouting at.

"It's collateral." He snaps at me, shoving me out of his way, and striding out the door. "Get me my money by Friday, if you ever want to see the snow globe again!"

"No! Wait!" I yell, hurrying after him. "You can't take that!"

He responds by giving me the finger. "Friday!" He shouts over him shoulder.

I slump in the doorway, I can't believe he'd take that. I'm devastated.

/….does that mean that you're not cooking dinner…./

I want a new life.

After a restless night worrying about Tristan, I'm trudging up Malik's walkway when a decapitated one armed doll sails past me narrowly missing my arm.

"Hey!" I yell, far too late.

Malik laughs, standing up from his hiding spot behind a rocking chair on the front porch. In his hands he's got the reason I'm in so much trouble with Tristan, a black slingshot that Malik had picked up at a garage sale. It was a pretty sophisticated contraption with a wrist brace, stabilizers, rotating prongs, sighting mechanisms, and god only knew what else. Malik was instantly infatuated, and just had to have it. I really don't know how Malik managed to get it, I strongly suspect a five finger discount, but I didn't ask. With Malik sometimes it's best not to know. The rest of the morning was spent gathering projectiles, and we'd spent a memorable afternoon launching things into space, getting more creative as the afternoon ran on. I was just lining up a can balanced on the back fence with a wooden croquet mallet (don't ask), when Malik decided to 'help me'. I maintain that it was unwanted sexual contact, and he swears that it was just friendly, but the end result was the heavy object being launched into the street and smashing into the side of Tristan's Dad's recently restored car, the first time he'd snuck it out of the garage. To say that he was unhappy was a serious understatement, and I still flinched at the memory. I had taken full responsibility, as I knew that Malik couldn't afford to give me any money toward it, and I didn't want him to think that he had to. He was unpredictable at the best of times, and I didn't care to imagine how he'd help raise the money. So I'd kind of down played the situation to him.

Pushing the whole situation from my mind, I smiled at him. "Ready for school?"

"I guess." He says, opening the front door and tossing the sling shot inside. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over one shoulder, sauntering down the walkway.

I joined him, admiring the beautiful weather. Sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, it was a day that you couldn't help being in a great mood. Dispite my issues, I felt a spring enter my step.

/if you start skipping, I'm leaving/ The little voice warns me.

Promise?

/haha, it is to laugh/

"And then the aliens parked their ship in my bathtub, and demanded bananas and pickles for fuel. I said that I didn't have any and could they use canned beans instead and they decided that that was such a great idea that they presented me with the grand golden rod and made me ruler of their planet. Personally I think that the rod is a little too much like a phallic symbol but what could I say you know? So I…"

"What?!" I say, softly laughing.

He gives me a slow lazy smile. "I knew you'd tune back in eventually."

I shake my head. "So I take it you're feeling better today?"

He shrugs, "I'm alive. Alive in that non-committal sort of way, as in I reserve the right to die again at any moment."

"um……good?"

He laughs, and flashes me another smile. "So have you figured out what you're going to say yet?"

"To who?" I inquire wryly.

"That lowlife stoner."

"Tristan? Oh um, actually, um, I talked to him last night." I say, walking a little bit faster.

"Really? I'm surprised, I thought that you'd drag you heels." He matches my pace easily, sounding confused.

We continue to walk for a block in silence. He's got an intent look on his face, and keeps shooting me puzzled looks, which I pretend I don't see.

"Yeah, he showed up at my house last night." I say at last. The silence is unnerving me.

"What? Really?!" Great, now he looks pissed. "And what did he say?"

"Um," I hesitate, wondering if it wouldn't be best to have kept my big mouth shut. "He said that I better have his money by Friday if I want my snow globe back."

"What snow globe?"

"That one that's usually in the living room. He kind of took it last night."

"WHAT?" He shouts, looking murderous. "That asshole!"

Abruptly he picks up the pace looking positively livid.

"Wait! Malik!" I call, hurrying after him. "It's fine! He won't do anything to it, it was just collateral." I finish lamely, but he's not listening anymore. Great.

/Alright! A fight!/ the little voice gleefully says. /and I thought that today was going to be boring/

Shut up.

The little voice starts whistling the theme from Rocky.

I roll my eyes, and break into an all out run as I realize that Malik had managed to locate Tristan.

"Hey asshole! Who the hell do you think you are? Give Ryou back his picture right now before I kick your ass." Malik growls as soon as he's close.

Everyone in the immediate vicinity goes silent. Crap.

/Double crap/

Shut up!

/just trying to help…./the voice says sulkily.

Tristan turns to face him, and gives him a slow once over before a dismissive roll of his eyes. Contempt drips from every word, "Look, I told you two that I wanted my money by Friday. As long as I have it, he'll get his little picture back."

"You're such a loser, Tristan." Malik snaps.

"I'm a loser? This coming from a white trash slut like you. Your house is so nasty that last time I walked by it I tripped over a rat and a cockroach stole my wallet."

There were a few snickers from the rapidly gathering audience, and Malik bristled.

"You know Tristan, you're proof that evolution can go in reverse. I'm surprised that you haven't gotten a Darwin Award yet for being brain dead."

"I'm sorry but all I heard was blah blah blah I'm a stupid whore."

Malik scoffs, "Good come back. Keep talking and maybe someday you'll say something intelligent all on your own."

"Whatever you cum dumpster. You're a skanky slut who's only problem is that I won't do you. Deal with it and move on. I like girls. It's not gonna happen." He said loudly for the benefit of the crowd.

Malik flushed red, and screamed, "Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you'd had enough oxygen at birth? May I never be so desperate as to even consider screwing you."

"You know, as much fun as this is, I really don't have time for it. Ryou'll get it back when I get my money, and not a second before."

"You're the biggest bitch I've ever met, Tristan!"

"Bigger than your sister? I'm honored!"

"What did you just say about my sister?" Malik asked quietly, face losing all expression.

I start frantically gesturing for Tristan to stop, but Tristan seems to entirely miss the danger this new voice holds, and continues.

"I said that your sister is a poor white trash slutty bitch, just like you."

Malik launched himself at Tristan's throat, and Tristan went over backward. Malik landed on top, reeling back to punch him hard in the face, and Tristan retaliated. The fight that had been building for just over a year was on.

/Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet

Just a man, and his will to survive/ The little voice sang to what looked like a choreographed routine.

Just shut up, I thought wearily.

By lunch time I'm sitting back under my tree morosely eating a cheese sandwich. Tristan and Malik had both gotten two weeks suspension. Isis was going to kill Malik when she found out. I'd tried to talk to Yugi but Tea had been there, and was less than sympathetic.

"After all, Malik's the one who started the fight in the first place, and he's the one who threw the first punch. It's not really fair that Tristan was suspended too. Malik's a psychotic menace and should be locked up. Everyone knows that."

"He is not!" I'd tried to defend him.

Tea'd just rolled her eyes, and told Yugi that she needed him to watch her cheerleading routine during lunch to spot any problems. He'd agreed, avoiding any eye contact with me, and they'd both left.

"So I heard your friend made quite an entrance this morning", an amused voice stated.

I turned around and looked up to see none other than Seto Kaiba leaning casually against my tree. He's wearing a grey tshirt and black pants. Come to think of it, the last time I saw him he was dressed fairly similarly. He'd look even more amazing dressed in something with some color.

/As if your not gay enough, now you're going to give out fashion advice./ The little voice says with a sigh.

I'm not gay! I protest.

/ok. Fine, you're not gay…… Quick, who is the world's most successful female recording artist of all time?/

Madonna, I answer without thinking.

/ah ha! You honor, the prosecution rests!/

Whatever! I think indignantly. If you know it, of course I know it. You're a figment of my imagination!

/well if your going to get all huffy about it…../

I roll my eyes, and suddenly realize that I'm zoning out and ignoring Seto. I give my head a quick shake and that's when I realize that he's gone. I feel a wave of disappointment. Today sucks.

Crap

/double crap/

Oh shut up.


End file.
